GPT-4.1 vs GPT-5
A complete head-to-head: pricing, context window, benchmarks, modality coverage, and openness, with a programmatic verdict synthesized from the underlying data.
Updated
GPT-4.1 specs · GPT-5 specs- PriceGPT-4.1
GPT-4.1 is roughly 1.3× cheaper on output tokens ($8.00 vs $10.00 per 1M).
- Context windowGPT-4.1
GPT-4.1 accepts 1M tokens vs 400K, 2.5× the room for long documents and codebases.
- BenchmarksGPT-5
GPT-5 leads in 2 of 2 shared benchmarks; the biggest gap is on HumanEval (Python coding), where it scores 96.2 vs 90.6.
- ModalitiesGPT-5
GPT-5 supports 3 modalities (text, vision, audio) vs 2 for GPT-4.1.
- OpennessTie
Both are closed-weight, API-only.
It's a genuine coin-flip between GPT-4.1 and GPT-5: 2 category wins each, with the rest tied. GPT-4.1 is roughly 1.3× cheaper on output tokens ($8.00 vs $10.00 per 1M). GPT-4.1 accepts 1M tokens vs 400K, 2.5× the room for long documents and codebases.
GPT-5 leads in 2 of 2 shared benchmarks; the biggest gap is on HumanEval (Python coding), where it scores 96.2 vs 90.6. They differ in modality coverage, GPT-4.1 handles text, vision while GPT-5 handles text, vision, audio, which can be the deciding factor before you even look at benchmarks. Both are closed-weight, API-only.
GPT-5 is the newer of the two, released 4 months after GPT-4.1, which usually means a more recent knowledge cutoff and updated safety post-training. GPT-4.1 is usually picked for long context and rag workloads, while GPT-5 sees more deployments in coding llm and agents. If pricing matters more than every last benchmark point, run the numbers in the calculator below before committing.
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | GPT-4.1 | GPT-5 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI |
| Released | Apr 2025 | Aug 2025 |
| Modalities | text, vision | text, vision, audio |
| Context window | 1M tokens | 400K tokens |
| Max output | 32.8K tokens | 128K tokens |
| Input · 1M | $2.00 / 1M tokens | $1.25 / 1M tokens |
| Output · 1M | $8.00 / 1M tokens | $10.00 / 1M tokens |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-06 | 2024-09 |
| Open weights | No | No |
| API available | Yes | Yes |
Pricing at scale
What you'd actually pay at typical workloads. Numbers come from each model's published per-million-token rates.
- Light usage, 100k in / 50k out per day$18.00 vs $18.75
- Heavy usage, 1M in / 500k out per day$180 vs $188
- RAG workload, 5M in / 200k out per day$348 vs $248
Light usage, 100k in / 50k out per day: $18.00 vs $18.75 per month, model A comes out ahead. Heavy usage, 1M in / 500k out per day: $180 vs $188 per month, model A comes out ahead. RAG workload, 5M in / 200k out per day: $348 vs $248 per month, model B comes out ahead.
Estimated spend for the listed models at your usage. Numbers are derived from each model's published per-million-token rates.
- GPT-4.1$0.600
- GPT-5$0.625
Benchmarks compared
Only sourced numbers. Where a benchmark is missing for one model we show the available value rather than fabricating the other.
- MMLU86.291.4
- HumanEval90.696.2
- GPQA,89.4
- SWE-bench Verified,74.9
GPT-4.1 fits when…
- 1M-token context window, strong for long-doc workloads
- Mature SDK and tooling integrations
- Reliable JSON-mode and function-calling
- Cost-sensitive workloads, 1.3× cheaper than GPT-5 on output tokens.
- Long-context tasks, handles 1M tokens vs 400K for GPT-5.
GPT-5 fits when…
- Unified model, reasoning routed automatically per query
- Excellent tool-use and JSON-mode discipline
- Strong agent performance on SWE-bench Verified
- Multimodal needs covering audio.
Consider GPT-5.5
OpenAI's mid-cycle GPT-5 refresh, improved reasoning, tool use, and multimodal grounding over the 2025 launch.
Frequently asked
Is GPT-4.1 or GPT-5 cheaper?
GPT-4.1 is cheaper at $8.00 / 1M tokens per million output tokens, vs $10.00 / 1M tokens for GPT-5.Which has the larger context window?
GPT-4.1 accepts 1M tokens vs 400K for GPT-5.Is GPT-4.1 or GPT-5 better for coding?
Both GPT-4.1 and GPT-5 are competitive on coding benchmarks. See each model's individual spec page for HumanEval and SWE-bench scores where published. For an opinionated pick, consult our Best LLM for Coding ranking.Are either of these models open source?
Neither model ships open weights, both are accessible only via their respective providers' APIs.When were GPT-4.1 and GPT-5 released?
GPT-4.1 was released by OpenAI on 2025-04-14. GPT-5 was released by OpenAI on 2025-08-07.
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